Spreading the message to young people

Across the world, Pernod Ricard has initiated various measures aimed at limiting the sale of alcohol to minors and warning young adults against the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.

PERNOD RICARD’S COMMITMENT

Pernod Ricard and its subsidiaries are committed to limiting high-risk behaviour among minors and young adults.

In many respects, the 15-24 age group seems to be more vulnerable than the average consumer. This is due to excessive consumption (binge drinking) and inappropriate consumption (starting to drink at a young age and drink-driving). 

Pernod Ricard demonstrates its commitment by : 

  •  supporting and participating in the adoption of legal restrictions that protect minors and discourage them from consuming alcohol,  
  • insuring that our commercial communications do not target minors
  • fighting against alcoholic consumption among minors and raising awareness of responsible alcohol consumption among young adults.

Pernod Ricard relies on the expertise of the French Institut de Recherche Scientifique sur les Boissons (IREB) to target its prevention measures effectively. The Group is an active member of IREB, which it has been funding since 1971.

Every 5 years, IREB conducts a study on youth attitudes towards alcohol and consumption behaviour with approximately 1,000 people aged 13-24. The studies help describe teenagers’ alcohol consumption patterns and attitudes and examine their evolution over time.

IREB is a unique private research institute dedicated to studying alcohol. It includes an independent scientific advisory board and it funds research on alcoholism and the effects of alcohol on health and epidemiology, independently, in partnership with public authorities, or with other research entities.
Learn more about the IREB: www.ireb.com


EDUCATING AND PROTECTING YOUNG PEOPLE

Pernod Ricard España supports the Fundación Alcohol y Sociedad (FAS), which has designed educational programmes about alcohol for schools intended for children, teachers and families. One of these programmes aims to delay the age at which young people start drinking and reduce the number of minors who consume alcohol. Since the “Alcohol and Teenagers” programme was created, awareness has been heightened among over a million teenagers in 2,100 schools. Pernod Ricard is part of the Federación Española de Bebidas Espirituosas (FEBE).

In Sweden, Pernod Ricard Nordic participates in the “Teach about alcohol” programme (Pratamalkohol.se) that has been available to junior schools and secondary schools since 2006. The programme has been widely successful; in 2008, over 2,400 schools have ordered the educational materials, representing almost 80% of all schools in Sweden.

The subsidiary Irish Distillers Ltd. joined forces with other key players in the wine and spirits industry to form Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society (MEAS). MEAS applies a practical code to ensure that alcoholic drinks are not served to persons under the age of 18. MEAS also leads awareness-raising actions through its programme “Drinkaware.ie” launched for five years. A national advertising campaign to fight against binge drinking entitled “Had enough?” was launched in 2007. The campaign was also extended to university campuses in Ireland. In addition to a poster campaign, a guide entitled “No Nonsense” designed for students was developed in collaboration with the Union of Students in Ireland. It gives students advice on responsible alcohol consumption. It can be downloaded from www.drinkaware.ie.

In France, the Group is associated with the Entreprise & Prévention initiative aimed at encouraging compliance with laws regarding the sale of alcohol.

Finally, in 2008 Pernod Ricard supported the French government’s decision to raise the legal age limit for buying alcoholic beverages from 16 to 18.


RAISING YOUTH AWARENESS ON THE RISKS OF DRINK-DRIVING

For the 2007 holiday season, Pernod Ricard India developed an advertising campaign aimed at young adults, stressing the importance of designated drivers. The television advertisements deal with the subject in a comical way to appeal to a young audience. For its radio adverts, Pernod Ricard India uses voices of popular film celebrities. 


Pernod Ricard Thailand led a campaign aimed at young adults that evokes the dangers associated with alcohol and drink-driving. “Socially-responsible ambassadors” from the whisky brand 100 Pipers attended parties in Bangkok. They encouraged young people to use breathalysers to test their blood alcohol level before leaving, and gave out “drink responsible” stickers to those who successfully passed the test.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: BINGE DRINKING AND THE SOLUTION FROM PERNOD RICARD USA

Binge drinking refers to excessive consumption of alcohol over a very short period of time with the primary intention is becoming intoxicated. It can lead to serious medical complications and goes against the consumption practices recommended by Pernod Ricard.

Since 2007, in an effort to fight against binge drinking, Pernod Ricard’s subsidiary in the United States has led an advertising campaign and set up a website, www.AcceptResponsibility.org, dedicated to the problems of drink-driving, binge drinking and underage drinking.

This innovative campaign highlights the typical excuses used to justify irresponsible consumption. The campaign is based on the following approaches : 




  • exposing the phenomena of “self-deception” and “denial”,
  •  encouraging people to accept responsibility for their acts.

The American subsidiary dedicates a significant portion of its communications budget for the Group’s strategic brands to this type of message.

This campaign was adapted by Pernod Ricard UK to help address similar issues in the UK .